Cricket Showcase at Club Court

SCHOOL SPORT VICTORIA – LODDON MALLEE REGION CRICKET FINALS

Intermediate Girls

On Wednesday 2 November, our Intermediate Girls cricket team were back at Club Court on the back of their brilliant win at the Sandhurst Division competition. The girls had been training hard in the lead up to this game, so they were hoping for a good game and result. Their opposition was Irymple Secondary College, and on the back of a four hour trip, the Irymple team were delighted to get off the bus.

Meg O’Callaghan won the toss and elected to bat. On a skidding wet wicket, the girls started slowly as it soon became clear that Irymple had a very strong team. After seeing the first few overs, Milla Finch was the first batter to be dismissed, and from then on, it was sadly a slow progression of falling wickets. Irymple bowled great line and length, and our batters struggled to get the ball away. Meg O’Callaghan did what she could with the bat but was also dismissed early in the innings to a brilliant catch from one of the Irymple fielders. The girls all tried their best with every ball faced and were eventually dismissed for 39 runs in the 17th over.

Once in the field the girls knew that they would need to be exceptional to keep Irymple at bay. The opening bowlers of Madeline Best and Meg O’Callaghan were terrific, and Irymple struggled to make quick runs, however the girls could not get a breakthrough despite many close calls. Irymple consolidated their innings after seeing off Maddie and Meg and were able to reach the required target with more than 7 overs to spare.

Even though it wasn’t the outcome that the team wanted, they still played with great enthusiasm and continued to grow and develop their skills along the way. 

Thank you to Miss Steen, Sebastian Rossi and Oscar Farrelly for assisting with the team, the scoring and the umpiring and to Ms Pearce for coaching.

Back L-R: Nicole Foster, Meg O’Callaghan, Ebony Gronow, Lilly Rule, Zahli Waugh, Genevieve Nihill, Mikayla Cornish, Ms Maree Pearce (Coach)

Front L-R: Maddie McLarty, Milla Finch, Ashlyn Guidice, Madeline Best, Sophia Monotti

Intermediate Boys

Wednesday 2 November saw the Catherine McAuley College Intermediate Boys cricket team contest in the Loddon Mallee Region Finals at Club Court at St Mary’s of Angels Secondary College, Nathalia.

After winning the toss, CMC elected to bat and got off to a rocky start with the Nathalia bowlers making excellent use of the swinging conditions. CMC were unable to put together any significant partnerships, being bowled out for 109 runs in the 20th over. Hugh Behrens (24) and Judd Gilchrist (17) were the highest scorers of the match.

Nathalia got off to a hot start with the bat, looking like they would cruise to victory being 0-50 off the first nine overs. Some tight middle overs from Kyen Burrill-Grinton and Hugh Behrens saw CMC wrestle momentum back, causing a flurry of wickets thanks to some excellent outfield catching. The boys held their nerve towards the back end of the inning in a seesawing affair in which both teams had a legitimate opportunity to win. Tobie Travaglia had the honours of bowling the decisive final over and CMC finished victors by just 4 runs, qualifying for the State Quarter Finals to be played later that afternoon.

The Quarter Final was played against Hume Anglican Church from Craigieburn, with the latter winning this toss and electing to bowl. CMC got off to a much better start with the bat, allowing Tobie Travaglia to anchor the innings and produce some wonderful stroke play in his half century. Some excellent running between the wickets and outstanding power hitting from Xavier Grant, boosted CMC’s score to 6/147.

In reply, Hume Anglican SC got off to a flyer with their captain displaying some outstanding stroke play, with the visitors racing past 50 runs in no time. His departure proved to be the turning point thanks to the safe hands of Gus Hay in the deep. A more disciplined bowling effort by the CMC boys saw them pile on the wickets causing the run rate to climb significantly, proving too much for the opposition. CMC were the eventual winners by 23 runs in an entertaining game of cricket.

The team has now qualified for the State Semi Finals to be played on Friday 11 November in Melbourne.

Back L-R: Hamish McNamara, Hugh Behrens, Declan Stevenson, Archer Day-Wicks, Wil Pinniger, Tobie Travaglia, Taj Taylor

Front L-R: Gus Hay, Angus O’Brien, Judd Gilchrist, Xavier Grant, Kyen Burrill-Grinton